A Manatt litigation team filed a copyright infringement lawsuit on behalf of BMG Rights Management against Anthropic, an artificial intelligence company, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint alleges that Anthropic unlawfully used nearly 500 musical compositions managed by BMG—including works by Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, and the Rolling Stones—to train its Claude AI models without authorization. The suit raises significant issues at the intersection of copyright law and generative artificial intelligence, as music publishers and songwriters seek to protect their rights amid the rapid adoption of AI technologies.

“Anthropic has blatantly violated the copyright laws and caused direct harm to BMG and the songwriters it proudly represents,” the lawsuit says, asserting that the company’s rapid technological advancement occurred without appropriate licensing or compensation to rights holders. “Generations of inventors have brought revolutionary new products to market while complying with copyright law. Anthropic’s rapid development of its new technology is no excuse for its egregious law-breaking.”

Eleven Manatt partners were named to Variety’s 2026 Legal Impact Report, which recognizes the top attorneys in the entertainment industry. These professionals were highlighted for representing iconic companies and top talent including celebrities, actors, influencers, creators and producers.

This year’s Manatt honorees are:

• W. Joseph Anderson 
• Eric Bergner  
• Sandra Bignone 
• Matt Bruno 
• Chris Chatham 
• Ellie Heisler  
• Esra Hudson 
• Kimberly Lord  
• Sarah Moses  
• Stephanie Roeser  
• Sophia Yen 

Read the team’s full profile here. 

Manatt CEO and Managing Partner Donna Wilson was featured in The American Lawyer, where she highlighted the Firm’s 2025 strategic growth successes. In the article, Wilson emphasized how the Firm’s disciplined, long‑term strategy and continued investment in its people and technology are translating into rising net income and pushed Manatt past the $500 million gross revenue mark for the first time.

Wilson pointed to Manatt’s steady growth across several of its key practices—including white collar and civil litigation, health care, financial services, AI, privacy and data security, and corporate transactions—reflecting an ongoing dedication to expanding the Firm’s legal and consulting work focusing on the industries and issues most impacting clients. She discussed how this success is a culmination of the Firm’s five-year strategic plan set forth during her first term as CEO and Managing Partner.

Manatt maintains its unique legal and consulting model as a key driver of its success, enabling teams to deliver holistic legal and business insights to clients. Strategic investments in trial capabilities, consulting professionals and technology have strengthened the Firm’s position as a national powerhouse and trusted partner to clients navigating complex regulatory, financial and operational challenges.

Wilson also addressed how the Firm is continually strengthening artificial intelligence (AI) fluency throughout its platform, supporting clients as they face both increasing opportunities and risk, especially as AI converges across health care, financial services, entertainment and technology. “AI is a huge issue, and we’re guiding our clients with respect to the ramifications of that,” Wilson said.

Read the full article here.